Hanwha Ocean accelerates AI-driven shipyard overhaul with Starlink

May 25 (Asia Today) -- Hanwha Ocean is accelerating its AI-driven digital transformation at its Geoje shipyard, including plans to deploy Starlink on sea trial vessels later this year to improve offshore communications and operational data management.

Inside Hanwha Ocean's Geoje shipyard, decades-old industrial facilities and steel fabrication lines are increasingly being managed through digital platforms at the company's Smart Production Management Center and Smart Sea Trial Center.

Originally established during the former Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering era, the centers now oversee complex shipyard operations from production stages to offshore sea trials through integrated digital systems.

Large screens at the Smart Sea Trial Center display real-time information from vessels undergoing testing, including location, sailing speed, fuel consumption and inspection progress.

For liquefied natural gas carriers, the system collects and monitors more than 1,500 data points in real time.

In the past, sea trial schedules, inspection records and problem reports were scattered across Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and individual employee computers.

Hanwha Ocean said it integrated those records into a unified sea trial platform that stores issues and corrective actions in digital logbook form. Engineers can search past cases through keywords and track how similar problems were resolved on earlier vessels even after personnel changes.

The company plans to introduce Starlink satellite internet service on sea trial ships in the second half of this year.

Current sea trial operations often face communication limitations because conventional networks become unstable beyond roughly 80-90 nautical miles from Geoje.

Hanwha Ocean expects Starlink to enable more stable communications and real-time data sharing between vessels and land-based control centers even in distant waters.

Earlier, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries also announced plans to deploy Starlink technology at shipbuilding sites.

Hanwha Ocean is also expanding crew training programs.

Beginning later this year, the company plans to provide incoming crews of newly delivered ships with training on equipment operation and technical know-how accumulated during sea trials.

While onboard training already occurs during testing periods, the new initiative aims to provide all incoming crew members with broader operational expertise before vessel delivery.

The company expects better-trained crews to reduce equipment-related claims after delivery.

Meanwhile, the Smart Production Management Center oversees broader shipbuilding operations.

A 3D digital model of the shipyard allows managers to monitor docks, quay walls, block locations, workspace congestion and crane operations in real time.

Drones also photograph the shipyard twice daily to track block movement and construction progress.

Shipbuilding schedules are highly interconnected, meaning delays in one process can create disruptions throughout later stages of production.

Previously, managers had to gather information separately from multiple departments. The new platform allows personnel to monitor broader operational impacts simultaneously.

Production managers now hold weekly meetings at the Smart Production Management Center to review delays and coordinate responses.

Hanwha Ocean said its broader AX, or AI transformation, strategy is focused not on workforce reductions but on preserving technical knowledge and improving efficiency.

The company aims to convert experienced workers' expertise and decision-making processes into digital systems while automating repetitive tasks.

The strategy is intended to address labor shortages and an aging workforce by ensuring operational know-how is not lost as skilled workers retire.

"AX transformation is not intended to reduce manpower," said Kwon Soon-do. "The concept is to use technology to complement workforce gaps that will naturally emerge."

"The core goal is to digitalize skilled workers' expertise and automate repetitive work so field personnel can focus on more important decision-making and quality control," he said.

Competition with Chinese shipbuilders is also pushing Korean companies to accelerate digital transformation efforts.

Hanwha Ocean said Chinese shipyards, as newer entrants, are often better positioned to adopt advanced automation systems and modern infrastructure, while Korean shipyards maintain advantages in operational experience and quality management.

The company said converting that expertise into data-driven systems is central to maintaining competitiveness.

Hanwha Ocean added that the digital production and sea trial systems developed in Geoje could eventually be applied to operations at Philly Shipyard in the United States.

However, the company noted that differences in electrical standards, equipment certification requirements and local regulations would require adjustments rather than simple duplication of Korean systems.

A Hanwha Ocean official said digital transformation is expanding across global manufacturing industries, including shipbuilding, and could help improve production efficiency and ease labor and operational burdens at overseas shipyards as well.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260525010007089

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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 8:45 PM.